Published: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 10:47 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at 10:47 p.m.

“… when we build for the future, we know that the cornerstone will bear the name “Education.”

– Gov. James E. Holshouser Jr.,

inaugural speech, Jan. 5, 1973

Many North Carolinians don’t remember or were not here when Jim Holshouser was governor, but his name will live on as one who helped the state gain a reputation as a beacon of the New South, poised for prosperity, economic diversification and growth that banked on public education as the key to a successful future.

James Eubert Holshouser Jr. rode into office on Richard Nixon’s second-term coattails, the first Republican in the 20th century to hold the state’s top office. Back then the governor was limited to a single four-year term and did not possess veto power, and his power was limited because he had to deal with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature. But he came into office espousing commitments to education, the environment, industrial growth balanced against protecting fragile ecosystems, and public health.

He was a strong proponent of the state’s public schools and worked for policies and funding to help improve them. His Democratic successor, Jim Hunt, gained national renown as “the education governor,” but he was only one of a succession governors who knew that the key to North Carolina’s prosperity rested with its education system. Holshouser was such a champion.

As governor from 1973 to 1977, he pushed to expand kindergarten to all children. He supported increased spending on schools and more money for teachers, reasoning that “the quality education we want for our children can never come unless we provide the means to attract the best of teachers.” The current General Assembly, led by members of his own party, would be wise to take note of those words. He also strongly supported class-size limits, one of many landmark pieces of legislation now being undone. In his farewell speech he proudly characterized education programs he shepherded as “progressive.”

Holshouser also backed laws protecting the environment, especially the coastal areas and the beloved mountains where he was raised. His concern for the environment led to passage of the Coastal Management Act, groundbreaking legislation aimed at protecting our coastline from pollution caused by unwise development.

That’s not to downplay his pro-business stance – he spoke of diversifying the economy that offered residents good-paying jobs, and he once wooed petroleum industry representatives in Texas to consider North Carolina for new refineries.

But in numerous speeches and policy statements throughout his four-year tenure he emphasized the need to preserve the environment, green space and quality of life. His inaugural address included a call for more public park land, and his administration followed through. School and clean-water bonds passed during his tenure. He also voiced support for the Equal Rights Amendment.

More recently, Holshouser and Hunt worked together to promote public financing of judicial elections and some Council of State races, an effort about to be dismantled by the current crop of Honorables. His feelings on the matter don’t require speculation. In a column that ran in the StarNews in late April, he and Hunt wrote, “In our constitutional system, we need impartial judges who protect the rights and liberties of all; they must be unbiased referees who focus on the law and facts of a case, not the pressures of an upcoming election.”

<p><i>“… when we build for the future, we know that the cornerstone will bear the name “Education.”</p><p>– Gov. James E. Holshouser Jr.,</i></p><p> inaugural speech, Jan. 5, 1973</p><p>Many North Carolinians don't remember or were not here when Jim Holshouser was governor, but his name will live on as one who helped the state gain a reputation as a beacon of the New South, poised for prosperity, economic diversification and growth that banked on public education as the key to a successful future.</p><p>James Eubert Holshouser Jr. rode into office on Richard Nixon's second-term coattails, the first Republican in the 20th century to hold the state's top office. Back then the governor was limited to a single four-year term and did not possess veto power, and his power was limited because he had to deal with an overwhelmingly Democratic legislature. But he came into office espousing commitments to education, the environment, industrial growth balanced against protecting fragile ecosystems, and public health.</p><p>He was a strong proponent of the state's public schools and worked for policies and funding to help improve them. His Democratic successor, Jim Hunt, gained national renown as “the education governor,” but he was only one of a succession governors who knew that the key to North Carolina's prosperity rested with its education system. Holshouser was such a champion.</p><p>As governor from 1973 to 1977, he pushed to expand kindergarten to all children. He supported increased spending on schools and more money for teachers, reasoning that “the quality education we want for our children can never come unless we provide the means to attract the best of teachers.” The current General Assembly, led by members of his own party, would be wise to take note of those words. He also strongly supported class-size limits, one of many landmark pieces of legislation now being undone. In his farewell speech he proudly characterized education programs he shepherded as “progressive.”</p><p>Holshouser also backed laws protecting the environment, especially the coastal areas and the beloved mountains where he was raised. His concern for the environment led to passage of the Coastal Management Act, groundbreaking legislation aimed at protecting our coastline from pollution caused by unwise development.</p><p>That's not to downplay his pro-business stance – he spoke of diversifying the economy that offered residents good-paying jobs, and he once wooed petroleum industry representatives in Texas to consider North Carolina for new refineries. </p><p>But in numerous speeches and policy statements throughout his four-year tenure he emphasized the need to preserve the environment, green space and quality of life. His inaugural address included a call for more public park land, and his administration followed through. School and clean-water bonds passed during his tenure. He also voiced support for the Equal Rights Amendment.</p><p>More recently, Holshouser and Hunt worked together to promote public financing of judicial elections and some Council of State races, an effort about to be dismantled by the current crop of Honorables. His feelings on the matter don't require speculation. In a column that ran in the StarNews in late April, he and Hunt wrote, “In our constitutional system, we need impartial judges who protect the rights and liberties of all; they must be unbiased referees who focus on the law and facts of a case, not the pressures of an upcoming election.”</p><p>Wise words.</p>